1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a tape cartridge including a case and a single reel which is contained in the case and around which a recording tape such as a magnetic tape used as a record reproducing medium for a computer, is wound.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic tape cartridge is known that includes a single reel which is contained in a case and around which a magnetic tape used as a data record reproducing medium for a computer is wound, is conventionally known. A leader member, such as a leader block, leader pin or leader tape, is fixed to a leading end of the magnetic tape. The leader member is drawn from the magnetic tape cartridge by a drawing device provided in a drive system. The magnetic tape fastened to the leader member is wound around a take-up reel of the drive system.
In addition, a reel gear is inscribed in an annular shape at a center of a lower surface of the reel, which is exposed through the hole formed at a lower surface of the magnetic tape cartridge. A driving gear provided on a rotating shaft of the drive system is engaged with the reel gear to rotate the reel. Data is recorded onto the magnetic tape and the recorded data is reproduced by synchronously rotating the reel of the magnetic tape cartridge and the take-up reel of the drive system.
However, because the leader member is fit into the magnetic tape cartridge to be attached to the cartridge, a load acts on the leader member whenever it is attached to or detached from the cartridge.
There is a technique for countering this problem as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. A leader pin 100 has a flange portion 108 at an end of a small diameter portion 106 (connecting portion) formed at each end of a tape fastening portion 104 for fastening a leading end of a magnetic tape 102. Each of the flange portions 108 is covered by a cup-shaped member 110. A spring member 112 is disposed between the cup-shaped member 110 and the flange portion 108 at each end of the leader pin 100 so that the cup-shaped members 110 can be respectively moved toward the flange portions 108 with compression of the spring members 112. When the cup-shaped members 110 are resiliently projected, the leader pin 100 is readily attached to or detached from a magnetic tape cartridge 114.
When the magnetic tape cartridge 114 is loaded to a drive system (not illustrated), the leader pin 100 is drawn by an unillustrated drawing device of the drive system. The drawing device connects to the small-diameter portions 106 of the leader pin 100.
When the spring members 112 are compressed, the cup-shaped members 110 respectively move toward the flange portions 108 and cover the circumferences of the small-diameter portions 106. As a result, the length L2 of the exposed portions of the small-diameter portions 106 in an axial direction of the leader pin 100 become shorter (L1>L2), which may make it difficult to connect the drawing device to the small diameter portions 106.